Water
by waiting4haykin
Summary: "Amazing how just a little water can change that. Just enough water to fill two lungs." The start of Season 4, just as Elena wakes up.
1. Water

**AN: I haven't written any fan fiction in a long time, but this story really wanted to be written. Feel free to comment on anything: plot, grammar, syntax, etc. I'm pretty open to reviews. No flames, obviously. **

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The water isn't even done dripping off her before he's in the room. She's not awake yet, and to him this all feels like a dream. She was just here. She was just _here_.

She was just telling him the truth, just admitting that she loved him most. Just admitting that there was only one little impediment between them, and they could get rid of it if given all the facts. But that was when he was supposed to die and she wasn't. Back when the centuries-old vampire was going to die and the teenage girl was going to live. The way it was supposed to be.

Amazing how just a little water can change that. Just enough water to fill two lungs. Seeing her laid out on the coroner's table doesn't make it feel like she'll come back, like she's seconds away from waking up and beginning the transition. It makes it feel like he's lost her. And maybe he has.

Maybe she won't transition. Won't become a monster. Won't be with him. Won't be a vampire. Won't _live_.

He's breathing erratically now, and just a second later, so is she. She's gasping and clutching at her throat and grabbing him with an unsteady hand and a tenuous grasp. And he's holding her too. And he's holding her to him.

"Elena…" Her name comes out like a curse, a prayer, and a desperate reminder of love. She's shivering in his arms, and while her body is no longer human and preciously fragile, she's still alive in some form. Vampire's cravings and all.

"Damon." Her fingers are digging into the leather jacket, holding him like he's the still point of the turning world, and he can do nothing but push his cheek to her head and thank whatever will listen that she is breathing again.

He doesn't notice the tears at first. She's still dripping water from the accident, and the tears almost blend in with the water. But he can smell the slight salt in the air, and he can feel her chest heaving again with sobs. He pulls back, grabs her face with both hands, and forces her to look up.

"Hey, hey, hey. Shh." He's got her attention but not her eye contact. "Elena, look at me. Look at me, okay? We need to get you out of here. Everything else after that."

She nods and pulls herself together, even if only temporarily. And that's all he's asking for at the moment.

The vampire speed is all new to her, and to save a bit of transition, he picks her up and whisks her out of the hospital and into an awaiting car. The car is speeding off before she's even opened her eyes, and he knows she prefers it that way – without effort, explanation, or Stefan following behind.

They make it to the boarding house, upstairs, and into his bed without saying another word. While he's imagined her here before, this isn't the time for anything more than tired eyes and a kiss good night. If he could even say those words considering all that's happened…

She's in dry clothes again, some of her things that migrated their way into the guest room a while back. After Stefan left. Before he returned. Those blurred moments of what they thought were the worst. A foolish hope, he thinks.

She cuddles up next to him in bed, her beneath the sheets and him on top of them. This is just comfort right now. While she processes. While she thinks. While she decides. And he's silent, waiting for all hell to break loose over them. Because whether it's Klaus or Stefan or her emotions or his unrelenting love, something will happen. It always has, and it always will.

But it's none of those things first. It's her memory. Just as they've laid down, put the lights out, and nestled into the closest thing to safety, she remembers. And suddenly, everything changes in an instant.

"I met you first, didn't I?" Her words are quiet, but they change the whole tone of the moment. She doesn't sound mad or shocked or happy or content. She's stating a fact but giving him the chance to lie. To tell her it's a false memory. To not break this moment of peace, even if it's to tell the truth.

But he doesn't. She needs to know now.

"You did." He gives her nothing but the facts. He doesn't want to color her opinion on this, doesn't want to remind her of what she said on the phone just an hour ago. She decided to be with Stefan, and even if it was under false pretenses, he won't blame her if she honors that.

He'll be devastated. Again.

But he won't blame her.

She looks up at him in the darkness, another question on her lips. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"There wasn't time, Elena. We were both going to die, and you were already driving to him. And even though I asked, it wasn't just about me and him. You were going back to everyone, and I wasn't there."

"And then _I_ died instead."

"And I wasn't there." His voice breaks a little bit, and the darkness magnifies the sound. He would have saved her. He would always have chosen her, and even if she would have been angry, she would have been alive. That made all the difference, and Stefan was too busy letting her play the martyr to notice it.

"Damon, it's not about that. Not now," she says, and he just wants her to say something else. He wants to hear her plan now, her decision. Even though she might not have made it yet, it's tearing him apart not to know if she'll be here tomorrow or not.

"No, Elena. You have a different choice now. Forget me. Forget Stefan. What about you? Are you going to transition?"

She doesn't even hesitate. Not even for an instant. "Of course." The answer takes even her by surprise. She didn't expect it to flow so easily. But this isn't the sacrifice all over again, back when she was willing to give herself up or when she cried over a choice being taken away from her. Yes, she wanted to be human, to grow up. But the fool's road would be an easy surrender and a form of suicide. She's just not willing to be that person any more.

Perhaps one of the reasons why is lying in bed with her.

The silence settles again, but it comes a little easier this time. Tomorrow she'll drink blood, and he can't guarantee what will happen after that. If she'll want nothing but blood, he'll help her control it the way Stefan never could. If she wants to try the bunny and deer diet, he'll help her find a way to force it down. He'll show her how to compel and breathe through the cravings. How to hear and walk. He'll get the little witch to make her a daylight ring, and he'll help Elena throw out all the vervain jewelry in her room.

He'll see her through the transition and Stefan's despair. He'll see her through everything.

_"Maybe if I'd met you first…"_

It's amazing what a little water can do. It can destroy a life, build a new person, destroy one relationship, revive another, and finally make him feel like things might be different. Not necessarily better or worse yet. Just different.

But the feel of her hand in the darkness and the calm of this moment, it gives him a little more hope than he's ever had before. And her kiss in the darkness makes him feel like there's another chance for salvation.

And just as they drift off, it begins to rain. Just a little more water to send them to sleep.


	2. Fire

**AN: An unexpected second chapter. Yes, the contradiction is a bit predictable, but the plot is less so. ****Any reviews you send will be magical and make my day. Write one?**

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She wakes up with a burn in her throat that's unfamiliar. And while the room she's in _is_ familiar, her place in this bed isn't, especially when he's not in it. Her hand reaches across the covers, searching for his warmth the way she used to search for his brother's. And for the first time, she's not nostalgic about it. She's completely present in this burning passion for Damon Salvatore, and the only distraction from it is the burn in her throat.

Just as she goes to get a glass of water, praying for a relief she know won't come, he steps out of the bathroom. "It won't work, you know. Not that way." His arrogance is astounding, and it's settles over her like a familiar blanket. She's used to this, his frustrating sense of timing and the way he smirks. The routine of it is… nice.

"Excuse me?" The haughty tone she intended doesn't quite make it to her eyes.

He comes closer, almost as if she's willed it. "A glass of water, Elena? Don't play Caroline. It doesn't work that way, and you know that." His hand reaches up to cup her neck, and it's all she can do not to lean in. "The fire here, it's a part of you now. Always will be." He smirks. "But if you want, I've got something that might help."

He dangles the two pieces of her bikini from his fingertips, and she's immediately on guard. Admitted feelings and all, this seems unwise. "Damon, I'm listening."

"When I first changed, I went through a period of hating the urge to hunt. So when the need got unbearable or when I wanted to temper it a little longer, I used to go for a cold swim. Now considering your last choice in taking a dive, I suggest something a little more practical." He nods behind him.

"A cold shower? Really?"

"It'll help, Elena. Especially considering that you'll be transitioning soon, ergo you need to drink human blood, ergo…"

She nods, conceding. "Cold shower. I get it." There's a breath and a moment. "So why the swimsuit?"

He cocks his head to the side. Now's the hard part of the convincing. "Well, I was thinking we could take it together." Silently, she rips the swimsuit from his hand and turns to walk away. "Oh, come on, Elena. It's not like I haven't see you and blondie in bikinis at the car wash already. Besides, this isn't about us. It's about you."

She turns around, furious. She's built up to a full boil faster than before. "It's about me? Really? Convince me because I'm just not believing that this about me and transitioning right now."

"There's breathing that helps too. Wear jeans and a turtleneck for all I care, but you need to do this. And like it or not, right now you need me too." He smiles at her glare, seeing that he's won her over a little bit more. She's most resistant right before she gives in.

She looks around his room, frustrated. Then a devious light comes to her eyes, and he knows that she's found her own way of dealing. Smirking, she goes to his dresser, opens a drawer, and pulls out one of many black articles of clothing. Holding it and the bikini to her chest, she goes to the bathroom and closes the door.

A minute later, the door opens. She's wearing the bikini alright, but underneath one of his black t-shirts, he'll never see it. Not that he minds. He'll still have her in the shower with him. That's enough for the moment.

"Great," he says. "Get in."

Purely out of habit, she sets the temperature to a warm setting, and he lets her at first. They step into the warmth, and for a couple minutes, the press of two bodies in such a small space is uncomfortable. She shivers slightly when he wraps his arms around her, and he laughs quietly. He hasn't even changed the temperature yet.

"Trust me?" His voice is so soft that she almost doesn't respond, but when she feels the water start to cool, she presses her head to his chest and nods. The cool water is not such a risk compared to being here with him, but she simply breathes deeply and waits.

At the first contact of the cold water on her skin, the fire in her throat burns a bit brighter. She knows it's wrong, but all she can think of is blood running warm across her lips. The thought is removed, thinking only of the blood and not where it comes from. She doesn't imagine ripped throats or screaming faces, only of a fire being assuaged.

She tries to escape the cold, but he holds her fast. "Shh. I have you."

When her shivering stops and she merely shakes slightly against his chest, he finally turns off the water. He helps her to pull off the soaked shirt she's been using as a cover up and wraps a towel around her. He picks her up to sit on the sink's counter, and when he sees that she's still shivering, he puts a hand on either side of her face and kisses her forehead. It's gentle and unexpected, but considering the curveball he has planned, he thinks that it's fitting.

Taking a deep breath, he opens the bottom drawer of the cabinet and takes out the blood bag he placed there earlier that morning. He rips off the stopper and hands it to her, and when she shakes her head, he finally speaks.

"It's a part of the transition, Elena. You're ready."

Her eyes give her away, and he can see that she's thinking of this as her true goodbye to humanity. Goodbye to being fragile and feeling a hunger that has nothing to do with bloodlust. Goodbye to growing up and growing old. Goodbye to motherhood and children with her eyes.

When she doesn't say anything, he speaks again. "You're not losing your humanity, Elena. It's already gone." Their eyes meet, and wordlessly, she holds out her hand for the blood bag. He hands it to her, and once his hands are free, he puts his hands on her wet hair to smooth it down as she takes the first sip of human blood. Their eyes remain locked, and when the blood hits her mouth, he notices a subtle change. He eyes get a little brighter. Her cheeks grow a little rosier. She was fading away, and he didn't even notice.

But she's here now, and as the blood bag empties, she becomes even more permanent. She's not going anywhere, and neither is he.

"How do you feel?" His thumbs rub across her cheeks, and he notices her lick her bottom lip to taste the last drop of rouge.

"I feel… great." She sounds surprised.

"And the craving? The temptation?"

"I feel under control. I can't be sure, but I feel that way." At her response, he smiles, and on impulse, he kisses her passionately. She responds in kind, and the towel slips again, revealing her bikini. He fingers the straps but leaves it at that, enjoying the moment instead of rushing it. He wants her, but he needs her to understand _why_ he wants her, why he loves her.

They pull back, and their foreheads meet as they even out their breathing just a touch. She smiles at him, and he can't help but return it. For now, they're in this little cocoon.

"Get dressed," she whispers, and he can tell she's got something planned already.

"What do you have planned?" He knows he should just go with it, but he wants to know what's she thinking about.

She smiles, and he can see a fire in her eyes. "You're going to show me the best part of being a vampire."

"And what's that?"

The fire burns a little brighter. "You tell me."


	3. Air

**AN: It's starting to look like I've planned these updates. Not true, but I keep having more to write. I'm not sure how long this will go on for, or if it will even continue. Thank you for reading and reviewing so far. Much appreciated.**

**Another element. Surprise, surprise. :)**

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They're dressed, and her hair is still drying when they finally step out of the boarding house. They're in the shade at first, and at the glimpse of sunlight, she almost walks toward it. Her fingertips are stretching to the warmth, and he can see that she's not even thinking about it.

"Hold on, newbie," he says, and she turns around so fast that she becomes off-balance. She starts to fall sideways, and in an instant, he's rushed through the air and stood beside her, holding her up. His hands reach to her cheeks out of instinct, and he smiles down at her. "Different, huh?"

She nods, looking a little overwhelmed. This is all so quick. She's was human twelve hours ago. Hell, she was still in transition minutes ago. Now everything is pulling at her body differently, and while she expected she'd take to being a vampire with finesse and ease like others had, this was so much harder than it seemed.

His hand smoothing across her cheek brings her thoughts back to him, and his voice sharpens her concentration. "The moving you'll get used to. It will work itself out. But you'll need this for the sunlight." He holds out a ring to her, and she recognizes the significance immediately.

The ring is silver and intricate, the lapis lazuli stone resting beneath a melted pattern of silver crosses flowers and leaves. In the center of the pattern sits a small diamond on a square pedestal, and along the sides of the ring's band the light cloud-like patterns continue. It's well suited to her tastes, and Elena has to believe he picked this out a while ago. It's too perfect to be just something he had laying around.

"Where did you get this?" Her breath comes out a little hushed, and she knows that her awe is showing.

He slips in onto her right ring finger, smiling. "I got this awhile ago, just in case something like this happened. Always best to have contingency plans, even if you and Stefan are always playing best case scenario."

She looks at the ring on her finger. It fits perfectly, but she would expect that from him. He has an eye for detail – often in places where he has no right to pay such close attention. "Did Bonnie…?"

"Nope. The judgy little thing was better off not knowing." His lips come close to her ear, and his hands have made their way to her hips. "But we can have her make you another one if you want something modern."

He pulls back to look into her eyes and takes note of how intimate their position is. It's practically a lovers' embrace, and while he should play it cautious and back off a bit, that's simply not his style. He brings her right hand to his mouth and kisses the inside of her palm, just below the ring. Consequences be damned, he's going to enjoy this closeness while it lasts.

However, Elena is not as comfortable with this newfound intimacy, and she steps back. She won't convince herself to drop his hand, but she steps back. So much for Stefan.

"So what's the best part of being a vampire?" Her tone remains light, almost peppy. A bit of enthusiasm from back in her cheerleading days.

"Running. All of the speed of a sports car without the joy of car payments." Pulling their joined hands, he moves her to a clear path behind the boarding house. It winds through the woods, and she can see that it will go on for quite a ways.

She nods. "Alright, any pointers, given my last moment of grace?" She looks more determined that excited, and he laughs, breaking her tension and the moment before them.

"Relax. Breathe. Let go. Just run for the hell of it." He watches her carefully, and when she makes no move to go, he smiles. Dropping her hand, he runs onto the path ahead of her, using his full speed so that she'll have to push herself to keep up.

He knows her. He knows she wants to be around him right now, knows she's afraid of trying something new while he's watching, knows she can't be alone right now. He knows she's not pushing herself enough, and he's here to push her just a little more. He'll set the circumstance, and she can set the terms. But she needs to move a little faster, go a little farther, and see this all a little clearer. She'll be okay. He knows her well enough to know that.

Behind him, she's running as fast as she can. It's so different from being human. The blur of trees is clearer, more defined. The ground is more yielding. Her joints don't tire, and her breathing doesn't grow uneven. The air rushes past her face and cools her flushed skin from the close contact with Damon. With her body working so easily, she's able to think past the deep breathing exercises. She's able to think about _him_. About Stefan. About how she's probably breaking his heart.

The last time she saw him, she was underwater and fading fast. She was pushing him to make a terrible decision, and she knew that she was going to break his heart then. But she wasn't going to have to deal with the repercussions, and he was going to move on. Now she's alive… sort of, and this isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Playing the martyr now feels more like playing the villain.

And if she's going to play this villain part full out, she has to admit that things have changed. She remembers everything now, and it does change things. Yes, she fell in love with Stefan first. Yes, she dated him, loved him, made love to him. He was her everything. He was her comfort, her hope, and her chance to recover.

But Damon holds other parts of her now. He holds her last moments of unadulterated happiness before he parents died. He holds the memory of her last true smile, and maybe that's why he's always understood her needs better. He knows what she lost, and at the same time, he knows what she could have again. He'll push her farther, know her deeper, and fight with her longer. Not just _for_ her, _with_ her. Damon knows who she is and who she can be, and he doesn't mind making her fight for it. He'll play the bad guy if he has to, and maybe that's why being the villain doesn't sound so bad.

She slows down as she sees him stopped at the edge of the clearing. His face is lightly flushed with happiness, and he's laughing with an unexpected freedom that makes her heart lift. He's wanted to share this with her for a long time, and now here she is. A vampire just like him.

She doesn't slow down to stop beside him. Instead she runs full-on into him, nearly tackling him to the ground. But with his keen eyes and knowledge of her, he seems to expect it, and he able to just stumble back instead of falling down.

He sees her full smile, clear of worry, and it lifts him up just a little more. He wraps his arms around her waist and spins her, laughing as they do fall down this time.

"How did it feel?" His question is posed to her, but his face continues to look up at the clouds. They lie in the grass together, and the silence settles easily as she considers her answer.

"Like flying. But easier."

He puts an arm behind her head and squeezes her shoulder lightly. "That's my vampire girl," he laughs.

_No, just "your girl,"_ she thinks. Villain and all, she's sees it now, and the thought comes to her like a breath of fresh air.

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**Here's an image of Elena's ring: www**.**aspireauctions**.**com/auctions/2010FEB/thumbs/32905-01**.**jpg**


	4. Earth

**AN: Every time I think that I have finished this, I get another review which inspires me. This isn't a "hint hint" thing so much as it's the truth. So thank you for the following and the reviews. Much appreciated.**

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When they've laid in the grass long enough and pressed enough dirt into their clothes, they finally admit the truth to themselves and start to face reality. There are a lot of loose and fraying ends in Elena's life. There are a lot in her death as well. It's time to remedy that.

He stands up first, and she is quick to follow. With her newfound speed, she's eager to feel the wind rushing past her face again. She's eager to feel as alive as she did before, and he can see it on her face.

"I'll give you a head start, newbie. You won't make it to the house before me."

She looks at the path in front of her and whips her head back to him, hair flying about her face. With a wicked gleam, she sidles up to him, laughs quietly to herself, and snakes her arms about his neck. Her hands tangle delicately in his hair, and her fingers move in alluring strokes.

She's playing more dangerously with their emotions now. It's a move so characteristic of something more, and there is a sun-baked warmth that spreads across his skin anywhere she touches. Her lips touch his lightly – a feather of a kiss. His eyes close, and his hands reach up to touch her hair.

But she's gone, and her laughter lingers after her. It would be typical Katherine, except he's not worried about the aftermath.

He races off to catch her. He catches glimpses of her in front of him, flitting about the trees and over branches, moving seamlessly where she had been stumbling before. He can hear her laughter, but maybe it's just an echo of before. Still, that sound is like a new song. It stays in his head, and he feels instantly addicted to it. Her happiness is stupefying, and almost as proof of its effect, he brushes too close to one tree, catches his shirt in a branch, and falls. There is more of her laughter, and he pauses a moment to relish it before chasing after the sound.

Ahead of him, she is smiling. She feels free again, light-hearted. It's a welcome feeling, but there is something odd about it. As if she doesn't deserve it yet. As if she's forgotten something hindering, something crippling.

She reaches the boarding house, and her heart stops along with her feet. There it is, the something she'd forgotten. The _someone _she'd forgotten. There's one of the loose and fraying ends.

Damon darts up behind her, and at first, her stillness doesn't catch his attention. He rushes into her, smiling and grabbing for her in a familiar way that makes her tense up even more. He looks up, and he sees it too.

He remains calm, but he can't seem to remain happy. "Hello, brother."

Stefan is burning all sorts of holes through him, and still Damon does nothing more than put his hands on Elena's shoulders, trying to ground her. This moment already has the potential to be emotional, and he knows how powerful her first-time vampiric feelings could be.

There is a pause and a quietness. Both brothers are waiting her out, and she seems to be waiting for the hurricane to start around her like it always has. Instead there is silence, and perhaps that is more terrifying in this instance.

She's still immobile when Stefan responds. His voice is quiet, calm, and measured, like he's been before, like every other time he's worried that this was happening. But now that it finally is, he can't seem to find a different tone. "Elena…" He pauses. A deep breath and the incense of her hair hits him like a punch, but his eyes don't show a thing. "You've made a decision."

She calms instantly, thinks he's avoiding the subject of her love interest and speaking of her transition. "It wasn't a choice, Stefan. I had to become a vampire. I won't sacrifice myself anymore."

Stefan smiles sadly, and the earth-shattered look reaches his eyes this time. "That's not what I was talking about."

"Oh…" Her face falls along with her tone, and she can feel the ground shift beneath her feet. She was so used to it being her and Stefan. It was always going to be her and Stefan. She was so sure that they were destined, that they would make it.

But then there's Damon. Cocky, arrogant, loving, loyal, beautiful, heartbreaking Damon who makes her heart beat faster. Damon who keeps her safe at the expense of all else, who believes in family before morals. Damon who would have never let her drown. Who couldn't let her drown. _Ever_.

In a way, Stefan has made this choice for her. Damon has fought for her time and time again, through sacrifices and blood and carnage and Katherine and Klaus and every immortal that ever stood up to knock her down. And yes, Stefan let her make her own choices, and yes, that was important at the time. But he let her fall, and he let her fall away.

That little bit of water changed everything, and this little piece of earth will see the outcome of that change.

She takes a breath and a step forward, and she makes eye contact with her former lover. "I love you, Stefan. Don't doubt that. But I can't be between you two anymore, and the longer I have held onto you, the more this has hurt all of us. When you left, it changed things. I don't know if that's because you went away or because he stayed, but things _did_ change. But when you came back, I was so sure that we could go back to that. I knew it would take time and energy, but I thought we'd have it again."

She takes a breath. This is harder than she thought, and there's a little water on her cheeks to show it.

Behind her, Damon shows the same even breathing. He doesn't know where she's going with this. He never knows where she is going, but he always wants to follow her.

She speaks again, and Stefan and Damon are listening with acute hearing and hearts on the line. "Stefan, I'm a vampire now. I have all my memories back, memories we didn't even know I lost, and they affect my decision. Maybe that's not right, and maybe it's not fair to you. But it's the way this _has_ to be."

Stefan looks at her, his eyes dark and quiet. A tear escapes his eyes just as he brushes one from her cheek. Then with a breath of air and a fire in his eyes, he disappears. Damon knows what he's going to do, the hell that he's going to wreak. But here Elena is, distraught and in need, and Stefan's collateral damage becomes irrelevant.

Stefan will be okay. This isn't another ten-year bender. This is a minor spell of desperation and bloodlust to numb the pain, and Damon won't begrudge him that. But he won't go to temper him either.

Elena turns to him, gives a rough and weak smile, and puts her arms around his neck. His arms wind their way around her back, and finally he can kiss her forehead, her cheek, and her lips without a sense of guilt.

They drift their way up to his bed again, not to become heady and romantic but to calm down and lie back. They lay in bed to take a break from the day and the events within it. This time, he gets under the covers with her, and even with all their clothes on and a breath of space between them, it feels so intimate.

She breathes in his dark and earthy smell, and her emotions settle slightly. Tears and all, today was a day of decisions that felt…right. She did need to become a vampire, and she did belong with Damon.

When he kisses her softly and smiles at her, it's hard not to feel that way. It's not to feel like she belongs here with this fire in her throat and this love in her heart. Damon Salvatore does more than ground her; he completes her. Perhaps that's cliché, but that also feels like the truth.

Who is she to deny that?

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**I worry that Elena might be a little OOC. Did anyone get that feeling? **


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